Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Slice of Life - Worry Lines

This has been a typical conversation around our house the past couple of months. We have hit some major life milestones. My son got his driver's license and my daughter turned 21 over the weekend!

Someone should have told me when I was pregnant that you not only have strange middle-of-the-night cravings, baby weight that is hard to get off, and stretch marks that never go away, you also get worry lines.

As I sat on my back porch the other night enjoying this unusually mild weather for this time of year and reading a blog I learned about from Ruth Ayres, I came came across a post about worrying...what timing!

It was a guest post by Gari Meachum on Ann Voskamp's website, A Holy Experience. This is a beautful place. Many times I go here just to listen to the music as I am working on my computer. If you have not experienced this, here is a gentle nudge....you will be glad you did.
Gari talks about raising teenagers and the "worry praying" that accompanies it.

"I spent many a night “worry praying” my way through the hours until my kids were safely back in their beds, sensing that worry is like a rocking chair—it consumes a lot of energy and takes us nowhere."

So here I am, rocking away with my what-ifs on either side. I have two wonderful children who have always made good life choices. But worry just hangs around. Uninvited.

She goes on to say that worrying means that we don't think God can look after the practical details of our life.

I know that there are many things in my children's lives that I cannot do anything about, even if I am their mother.

I know as a Christian I am to let go and let Him take care of things....all things

I know that worry doesn't move God's hand, faith does.

I know.

But... this isn't easy for me. Because I am their mother...it's my job!

9 comments:

Thanks for this important reminder.I need to print out your slice and hang it on my bathroom mirror. Can't even count the number of hours I have spent worrying about my 18 and 19 year olds this summer.

I'm with you 'sister'. My kids tell me that worry is my middle name. I'm so glad that you've started writing on your blog. For me the tension is eased somehow. Yesterday my son asked me just a simple question that, he knew would be up my alley. I wrote him back ....a dissertation :) But it helps...I'm reading one thousand gifts right now...ahh, what amazing writing. xo

Ugh. It's so hard to have complete faith. I know that God has a plan for each of us and our children, but we always think we can nudge our kids to make the right choices. Not going to (always) happen.

Continue to pray. Pray they make the right choices. Pray that Jesus is walking beside them. Pray that God is in their lives! I know I am going to have LOTS of praying -- worry praying too -- in the years to come!

Love this post Leigh Anne! You belong here and I'm so glad that you are apart of this writing community. You have much to offer in your words and stories and I thank you for that. :)

(BTW, I saw that you left a comment on my mom's blog about reading "One Thousand Gifts." Yep, that's my mom! I need to get a copy of that book. I know my mom loved it.)

Leigh Anne, I left a reply on my blog for you, but thought I'd share here also. Ann has such a wonderful website and I thoroughly enjoyed One Thousand Gifts. I'm ready to re-read/listen. Have you started your Joy/Dare Collection? She gives many thought provoking ideas of what gifts we have been given.

As for worry, definitely a hard thing to overcome. As Michelle said, pray, pray, pray, which I do, but even after I've turned it over to God, I find that I start to take things back. I think God made us this way so that our faith can grown and take over and we can entrust our concerns to God - not easy - it never gets easier, but each day I try.

Peace be with you and worry be gone. If only it were that easy inside of us. If only our hearts would settle slowly as smoothly as sunset and the gentle arrival of dusk. Lately I've been thinking about how worry tells God I do not trust him. Worry, angst and anxiousness are barriers to relationship. They are difficult to overcome. I like how Meacham frames worry as prayer--thank you for sharing her post and yours. Both are just what I needed.